Cultural Concordance and Health Accessibility Differentials in Israel: Field Survey in Tel Aviv

Abstract

Inequity occupies an important place in the ongoing global debate on health care accessibility. Israel, with its culturally diverse population and global reputation for an advanced health system, stands to be an ideal case to examine this subject. Economic disparity and geographical barriers are well-documented themes in the extant literature on accessibility gaps. However, the centrality of cultural factors in health care accessibility gaps remains understudied, especially in case of Israel. This study attempts to bridge the gap by examining cultural barriers to health care in Israel, within the conceptual framework of concordance using four communication variables, namely, language, gender, religion, and ethnicity. Based on the analysis of secondary information and primary data collected from field study in the city of Tel Aviv during February 2016, the article discusses how language and gender are main cultural barriers to health care in the study area, while religion and ethnicity do not influence health access significantly.